Umphrey’s McGee Releases “Similar Skin”

So you want to know how much Umphrey’s McGee’s eighth studio album, Similar Skin, rocks?

“We actually blew my f—in’ amp up,” says bassist Ryan Stasik. “That’s what happens when you make a rock and roll record. You blow the f—in bass amp up.”
Influences cited for the record include the Police, U2, The Beatles, Nirvana, Gentle Giant, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Soundgarden, and Pantera.

You can hear the band’s return to straightforward rock on an album that songwriter/guitarist Brendan Bayliss said was all about being “as concise as possible.”

Even with a dedication to concision evident on the record, it does also include a 9-minute closer, “Bridgeless,” already well-known to fans from live shows.
The album is also the band’s first on its own Nothing Too Fancy label.